Wiley-Blackwell Comparative Theology: Deep Learning Across Religious Borders

Drawing upon the author’s three decades of work in comparative theology, this is a pertinent and comprehensive introduction to the field, which offers a clear guide to the reader, enabling them to engage in comparative study. The author has three decades of experience of work in the field of comparative theology and is ideally placed to write this bookToday’s increasing religious diversity makes this a pertinent and timely publicationUnique in the depth of its introduction and explanation of the discipline of ‘comparative theology’Provides examples of how comparative theology works in the new global context of human religiosityDraws on examples specific to Hindu-Christian studies to show how it is possible to understand more deeply the wider diversity around us.Clearly guides the reader, enabling them to engage in comparative study Review "This marvelous book should stand as an invitation to many. I very much hope that it is taken up.”  (Harvard Theological Review, 1 April 2012)“In this context, Comparative Theology is a timely publication.”  (Teaching Theology, 2012) "It's a fascinating book, all the same. I warmly recommend it ." (Theology, 1 March 2011) "Comparative Theology will be of interest to people looking for a method for interfaith dialogue that affirms the value of one's theological commitments and could serve well as a textbook for courses exploring interfaith theological discourse." (Journal of Ecumenical Studies, 1 January 2011)"But as this volume suggests, our interreligious milieu provides a new impetus not just for learning about our neighbors' faiths but learning from them. Francis X. Clooney, S.J., is a most trustworthy guide." (The National Catholic Weekly, September 2010)"Clooney's book thus provides an extremely needful, as well as accessible, contribution to the furthering of this developing discipline, and as such it is a very valuable piece of scholarship." (American Theological Inquiry, July 2010) Review “It succeeds in a magisterial way: the book provides the first history of the discipline, exposits the approaches of its major players, discusses issues of methodology, sets directions for the development of the discipline, and carefully notes its strengths and limitations … This book will be the standard introduction for comparative theologians. And it is a persuasive answer to anyone who thinks that comparison muddies confessional truth.” –Robert CummingsNeville, Boston University"This will be a definitive text which introduces and exemplifies the discipline of comparative theology, as an important part of theology and the study of religions. It's an original and scholarly book, and deserves to be widely read." –Keith Ward, University of Oxford"Francis Clooney has distilled in this book decades of his massive and painstaking scholarship on Christian and Hindu theologies. Lucidly written and highly accessible, Comparative Theology teaches us how to read sacred texts … so that we can see both similarities and differences between our religious tradition and others. Clooney invites us to join him in developing, each in our own fields of specialization, this emerging theological discipline, of which he richly deserves to be called ‘the Father’. Comparative Theology is destined to be a classic in its field." —Peter C. Phan, Georgetown Universit From the Inside Flap This is a highly engaging introduction to comparative theology by one of the world’s most respected scholars in this fast-growing field. The book describes the development of the area and shows the reader both how to understand and undertake comparative theology. Drawing on the author’s three decades of work in the area of comparative theology, the book discusses the history of the field and the distinctive features of its current practice. While giving a clear sense of the purposes and methods of the discipline, Clooney draws upon his extensive study and experience to illustrate how one